Posts Tagged dead space

It’s All Hallows’ Eve once again. And what better way to enjoy the holiday spirit(s) than to have a good scare – or ten?

Since nobody at 148Apps could come up with an answer to that question we’ve created a list of our top picks for spooky, creepy, scary, and unsettling iOS titles in honor of the ghoulish festival. Hopefully these games won’t be too much for you to handle…

The Walking Dead – Season 1

The Walking Dead isn’t conventionally scary in the “Aargh! What the heck just jumped out at me??” kind of way, but it’s distinctly unnerving. It taps into that instinct to protect those we care about then shows us just how easily the life we once knew can be taken away forever. Forcing you to make tough decisions that are a matter of life and death mean you never get a chance to calm down or relax. Instead, you’re constantly on edge in a world that makes no sense any more. If that’s not deeply scary, I don’t know what is. – Jennifer Allen

Ellie – Help me out… please

Ellie – Help me out… please is a short, but creepy puzzle game that revolves around the player’s interactions with a kidnapped girl through a security camera feed. It definitely has some Saw vibes thanks to its puzzle room nature and voyeuristic perspective.

Over one million apps have made their way onto the App Store during its five years of existence. A million. That’s a pretty miraculous number when you think about it. However it’s not the amount of apps we have to pick from that I find so fascinating, but rather just how much things have changed since 2008. Pickings were comparatively slim at first, and many developers were just starting to dip a toe in the waters of Apple’s new smartphone.

On top of that, the technology itself has changed tremendously in a relatively small amount of time. It makes me wonder if anyone from 2008 would even recognize current iOS devices, and by extension the App Store. Would a newer Apple initiate have any idea what they were looking at if they somehow managed to take a trip to five years ago? I think it warrants a look at how the hardware, the App Store, and the apps contained within it have evolved.

2008 – The Beginning of the Beginning

The App Store’s first year was a rough but promising one. The iPhone 3G rolled out to coincide with Apple’s new software venue and the original iPhone was still viable. The iPod touch was also present and accounted for, while the second generation appeared closer to the end of the year. Even at this point many developers were eager to push these early iOS devices to their limits, to make them more than just a phone or an .mp3 player with a fancy screen.

Handy apps like Pandora Radio, Last.FM, Facebook, and Yelp were to be expected, but that didn’t make them any less impressive to have on a handheld platform. Others such as the intuitive personal organizer Evernote, the eerily accurate song-identifying app Shazam, eWallet’s convenient and secure account password management, and MLB At Bat with its extensive baseball coverage further capitalized on the particulars of the hardware and its general portability. Of course there were also some pretty unnecessary options out there, too. Flashlight kind of served a purpose but was also fairly pointless. It wasn’t as bad as stuff like More Cowbell!, though.

At the same time, the games available on the App Store were beginning to show people that “mobile” didn’t have to equal “mediocre.” Sure there were a few simple ports of the odd classic such as Ms. PAC-MAN, Vay, and Scrabble, but there were also some impressive iOS renditions of popular console games like Super Monkey Ball coming out. Potential mobile gamers also had a few really special titles such as Galcon and Fieldrunners to tide them over. When all was said and done there were over 7,500 apps on the App Store by the end of the year, with more being added every day.

2009 – Moving Right Along

The following year saw even more impressive releases as Apple’s digital marketplace began to expand. The second generation of iPod Touch was the bright and shiny new toy at the time, but it was followed shortly by the iPhone 3GS in June while the latest and greatest third generation Touch closed out the year in September. It all meant better processors, better CPUs, more advanced operating systems, and so on. All stuff that developers needed to acclimate to, but also stuff that meant they could push their boundaries even further. There was no loss of steam when it came to content, either: the App Store finished off 2009 with well over 100,000 apps available.

Many of the basic smartphone necessities were covered, but there was room for so much more. Especially while the technology was improving. Plenty of people used their iPhones as phones, sure, but with the addition of Skype they were able to enjoy the added functionality of instant messaging and voice chat without cutting into their data plans (so long as a wifi connection was present). Big companies were really starting to take notice as well. That same year Starbucks and many other big businesses threw their virtual hats into the ring with their own apps designed to make life a little bit easier for their iOS-using customers. Practicality was also becoming an even bigger focus. The Kindle app gave iOS users a practical e-reading option, and Dropbox was there being Dropbox. By which I mean “an awesome and super-convenient way to transfer files between multiple platforms.” And this same level of refinement could be seen creeping into the games as well.

So many of the App Store’s most notable games and franchises came out around this time. It was almost a mobile rennaisence of a sort. This was the year Real Racing first blew mobile gamers’ minds, even causing some of them to question the legitimacy of in-game video footage until they were able to see the finished product for themselves. Zenonia was just a fledgling action RPG at the time, and while a lot of people liked it I doubt they knew just how many sequels it would spawn. The same goes for Pocket God, although with updates rather than multiple releases. Flight Control began to eat away at peoples’ free time, Angry Birds and Doodle Jump hit it big (like, super big), and Myst and The Sims 3 further displayed the potential for major releases on mobile platforms. Oh, and Canabalt almost single-handedly invented and popularized a genre.

It’s hard to say exactly when it happened, but Halloween has undisputedly crept up on us to become a big league holiday. The kind where preparations begin over a month in advance, with horror movie marathons, costume discussions, and decorations. With that in mind, it would be a grave mistake to go in ill-prepared, so we’re here to do our part to help ring in the festivities. Here are four spooky games that will have horror-lovers shambling on over to the App Store and coffin’ up their dough.

The Room
Perhaps not the most obvious pick at first, The Room makes up for a lack of blood and gore with an ample amount of atmospheric tension. What starts off as Myst-like series of interlocking, symbol-filled puzzles soon emerges as an implied storyline filled with spine-tingling mystery. Much goes unsaid, but plumbing the depths of the unknown backed by eerie music box chimes is a meticulous thrill all its own.

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-09-19 :: Category: Games

Papa Sangre
From one nontypical experience to the next, Papa Sangre is a video game with no…video? Tasked with saving the soul of a loved one, players will take a frequently terrifying first-person audio journey through the palace of the titular demon. With an elegant interface and gripping story, Papa Sangre is a truly unique title that speaks to the power of sensory deprivation. The horrifying, horrifying power.

The Walking Dead
For a game filled with zombies, The Walking Dead’s horror derives almost entirely from the heart-breaking failings of humankind. Telltell Games has earned a mausoleum full of critical praise for its serialized interpretation of Robert Kirman’s graphic graphic novel, which uses the point and click adventure genre to force players to make tough, lasting decisions about life, death, and the brainless hereafter. All episodes can be purchased from within the app, so start this gripping tale right now.

Dead Space
As far as mobile horror goes, this one may be an oldie, but it’s most definitely a goodie. One of the best, in fact. Not only is it a faithful translation of Visceral Games’ flagship survival horror series to the small screen, but this version may just be scarier. In a dark room, with headphones in, the game’s brilliant tension between all-out action and edge-of-the-seat inaction is brought to the forefront, all backed by a methodical, shriek-worthy soundtrack. Player beware: Necromorphs may induce device dropping. (iPhone version also available.)

Seriously, there are a TON of games for the iOS platform. But when I mention the iPad or the iPhone as a true gaming platform, all I get are responses like, “Only good for Angry Birds!” Come on, gamers, open up those minds.

The iPad won’t replace home consoles any time soon, of course, but I really think that as portable devices get more and more powerful, those living room devices are going to have to up the ante to continue to be relevant. If I’m able to play a game with the graphics of Infinity Blade II and the deeper gameplay of something like Escape Plan (PlayStation Vita) on the big screen via AirPlay, why would I need a console?

so pretty.

I firmly believe that the iPad and iOS in general is already well on its way to replacing dedicated handheld gaming devices, at least.

I’ve owned Sony’s handheld gaming devices since the original PSP. I turned in all some dusty handhelds the other day and bought a Vita with the proceeds. Escape Plan, a fantastic launch title is a perfect fit for the iOS platform. While playing it, all I can think about is how a game of its obvious quality would work totally well on an iPhone. Or, better yet, an iPad. 148Apps creator and owner, Jeff Scott, agreed, saying, “But I keep thinking — hey, you could make a game this good on iOS, why don’t you?”

The iPad has the same graphics chip as the PS Vita. Escape Plan is made in Unity. Hey, the iPad supports games made in Unity! Why aren’t more developers jumping over to iOS?

not the only disgruntled ones

Could it be the perception out there, shared by many gamers, that iOS is just a platform for Angry Birds? First of all, any developer would be LUCKY to “just” be Angry Birds, with their 10m downloads for Angry Birds Space alone. A developer who might like to be able to charge $15 for the 1.4m PS Vitas out there needs to simply do the math and see that they could do as well on iOS at a much less expensive price point.

But the perception remains that iOS is simply a causal gaming platform, just one step up from the feature phones of the past. I disagree, of course, with titles like Gem Keeper, Trenches II, Hunters 2, Infinity Blade Dungeons (upcoming), and a ton of really good role playing games available for the platform. That’s not even to mention the bigger ports of console games, like Dead Space and Mirror’s Edge. Just because more casual games are in the media spotlight does NOT by any means that deeper, fully-gamer-approved experiences are not possible.

I think it’s time we change this perception. How? By bringing games with the depth and quality of an Escape Plan or Little Deviants or Wipeout to the iOS platform.

So I call out to all you Vita developers – why aren’t you on iOS? Is it a licensing issue? A Sony support issue? Why isn’t Escape Plan on my iPad? I’m begging, here. So are a ton of other gaming consumers. Why not come and engage the market?

I reached out to the developers of Escape Plan, FunBits, in an email last week, and haven’t heard back. If you know anyone at Funbits, or actually work there, drop me a line. I’d love to chat with you. Or anyone else engaged in the handheld/console market that isn’t already developing for iOS.

Carter and an esteemed panel of regular Portable Podcast guests share their opinions on the best games of 2011, their most underappreciated game, and their favorite pre-2011 game that they’re still playing.

Part One: Games 16 – 25 In what was another fantastic year in the world of iOS apps & games, we are here to bring you the fifty titles that we, the staff of 148Apps, thought were the best of the year. Here are the gaming titles 6 – 15 in our Best Games of 2011:

15. Temple Run: There are typically two kinds of endless games: the horizontal endless runners, and the vertical endless jumpers. Well, here’s the third kind: running into the screen, moving left to right, making swift decisions to avoid obstacles or turn in the correct direction. The originality was well-appreciated, and the game is quite fun, to boot. With its shift to free to play, it also serves as one of the best examples of how to do this business model in a fair way.

14. Scribblenauts Remix: When the first Scribblenauts game came out on the Nintendo DS in 2009, I immediately thought that with the need to type things in, and constant touchscreen usage, that it would work perfectly on the finger-friendly capacative touch screen of iOS devices. I am proud to report 2 years later that I was right. The puzzle platforming game where the items can be created from a vast dictionary of items, and modified with a series of adjectives, is as entertaining as ever, and is right at home on iOS.

13. Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing – When Sega puts their full effort into a project, the quality really comes through. It’s a serviceable kart racer with the standard weapons and powerups available, with great controls and a useful turbo boost mechanic. That it’s on iOS gives it a lot of points where on other platforms it might just be another fun kart racer, but the fact is that this is a really good game, with top of the line features for iOS, even with a fun online multiplayer mode, which is something that is still always cool to check out on the platform. As well, the Sega fan service is part of the fun, too – racing through a Jet Set Radio series level while piloting a rocket piloted by a ChuChu from ChuChu Rocket feels more special than racing any Mario character at this point.

12. Whale Trail: 2011 was a great year for endearing protagonists and endless runner games. Whale Trail was one of the true gems of the year, as it was a beautifully-designed game: the art was top-notch, the music composed by Gruff Rhys helped create a magical and whimsical world, and the gameplay was forgiving, but rewarded precision. The new challenge mode adds a new wrinkle to the game, as it provides short challenge levels that focus on skillful navigation of set levels, instead of randomly-generated endless levels.

11. Super Crossfire – When I was helping to compile this list from 148Apps’ writers, one title kept recurring in the lists: this Chillingo-published shmup. It was one of my favorites as well; being able to flip sides in this Space Invaders-esque game that also boasts super attacks was an ingenious twist. The controls worked very well for a touch screen, the upgrade system was simple but provided a great way to feel more powerful as the game went on. It’s a time-tested genre with some modern twists, and it works perfectly.

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-10-12 :: Category: Games

10. Dead Space – EA did the smart thing in bringing this horror shooter to iOS. They built the game for the platform – they optimized the controls and gameplay to work even with the touch screen involved. This is something that even games designed for the platform fail to keep in mind, and Dead Space just about nailed it. It became a must-play for fans of the franchise by being an original story, as well; it also managed to create a scary atmosphere even on a 3.5 inch screen, though playing on the iPad was definitely quite the experience.

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-01-25 :: Category: Games

9. iBlast Moki 2 – Each little puzzle in this game is like part of a delicate machine. The solution may be to move a bomb just a couple pixels to the left, or to set it off a 20th of a second later. When this game gets going, it requires the kind of planning, and intellectual approach that a game like Angry Birds, which does rely a lot on the physical act of using the trebuchet to launch the birds, cannot provide. There is nothing quite so satisfying as watching the little Rube Goldberg machine I’ve constructed of bombs launching fuzzy little creatures around succeed just as I planned, after so many tweaks. The fact that the game also comes with a level editor so robust that Godzilab themselves made all the levels in the game with it is just icing on the cake.

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-08-18 :: Category: Games

8. Death Rally – Oh, look, it’s an isometric racing game with combat. How novel, said the liar. Well, it’s free, I might as well check it out. Hey, this is pretty fun. These upgraded weapons are pretty cool. I can race against Duke Nukem? How cool. I really want to beat the Adversary, but I need to race him perfectly. Just one more run, and I’ve got him. Okay, that was challenging, but I finally did it! Well, that was a novel use of a few minutes…wait, where did my afternoon go? Didn’t I have things I was going to do? Whoops. Guess I’ll just play some more.

7. Jetpack Joyride: My first extended experience with this game was the day I had to report for jury duty. That day was long, as I had to go through an extensive jury selection process for an important trial. I had plenty of downtime outside of that, and pretty much all of it was spent playing this game. One session turned into another, and then another, and then just one more to try to collect the coins to unlock that new jetpack, or that new outfit. It was some of the most fun any person has ever had on a day where they’ve been selected for a lengthy trial.

6. NBA Jam: The problem with bringing a lot of retro titles to iOS is the touch screen. Virtual buttons and joysticks are something that people still have problems with, but I myself have gotten used to them and just want people to stop griping about them. However, there is one glaring problem: any game that uses more than 2 buttons that need to be pressed regularly run into issues. The lack of muscle memory for where physical buttons are makes this a hassle. NBA Jam solved this by using a sliding mechanic – there’s a turbo button in the bottom right corner, pass button to the left, shoot button above. Sliding from turbo to pass or shoot when needed was simple, and it solved the three-button issue in a way that allowed this game to work its magic on iOS. And really, because the game had both been out of regular circulation in gaming for long enough to feel fresh again, and because its core mechanics were just fantastical enough to work without much tweaking in the modern day, this was just a ton of fun to play on iOS.

Three sweet gaming deals today from big companies like EA and Gameloft. Don’t pass these up; if you haven’t already played these games, you owe it to yourself and your wallet to grab them while you can.

The Sims 3 – Was $6.99, now $0.99The Sims 3 Ambitions – Was $4.99, now $0.99
The quintessential Sims experience on iOS and its similarly well received sequel are both on sale for a measly dollar. Like our review clearly states, it’s time to “get away from life and control someone else’s.”

Dead Space – Was $6.99, now $0.99
In space, no one can hear you scream, especially if you’re a mute protagonist of the Gordon Freeman school, bent on saving your mining ship from certain doom at the hands of an alien freakshow. Yeah, we like this game. You will, too, and it’s WAY less pricey right now.

Shadow Guardian – Was $6.99, now $0.99
While our reviewer found it a touch too pricey at seven bucks, Shadow Guardian HD shouldn’t be a problem for anyone at a dollar. Give this Uncharted clone by Gameloft a try for a lot less cash.

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ll have been awaiting the release of the next hit from superstar developer, Firemint. They’ve recently been acquired by EA, and are putting some of that marketing muscle behind their upcoming release (this week!) with a brand new contest.

Spy Mouse: Solve the Clue is game in which entrants must help protagonist Agent Squeak solve clues on a daily basis, using Twitter. Simply head on over to the game page and click on the “solve the clue botton.” A question will be posed, after a quick sign in to Twitter, and each daily correct entry will be entered to win a copy of SPY Mouse, Dead Space, The Sims 3 or Real Racing 2 for the iPhone and iPod touch.

But wait, there’s more. The kind hearted Firemint folks have also given two other chances to win, with a second Twitter entry button and a Facebook like contest – tweet disdain for the easy clues on Twitter and Like the SPY Mouse Facebook page for two more chances to win.

The contest continues through August 26th, a day after the purported release of SPY Mouse on iOS, so get while the getting is good!

When it comes to big publishers embracing iOS, it would be hard to argue that EA is not among the top of that heap. Many of their biggest franchises including the likes of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and most recently, Dead Space, have not only been released on the platform, but have in some circumstances raised the bar for other development studios. This wide acceptance and general acclaim has not stopped the team over at EA Mobile from trying to continuously win over the constant adoration of their fanbase.

In an effort to continue in the general lovefest, EA is announcing this week’s exclusive Deal of the Day promotion. The official skinny from their PR team is as follows:

In a effort to give back to our community we have launch [sic] a new Deal of The Day promo that will deeply discount games or even make them free. The Deals will last all week with Saturday the 26th being the last day. The promo will include both iPhone & iPad codes over the 6 days, each day being a different mix-up of genre & style of game.

On Friday morning we put up a vote globally for users to choose which game they wanted a deal on for Day #1 & now that game has kicked off our Deal of The Day today!

This promo is worldwide and users from every corner of the globe can benefit from the on Sale and Free games.

Today the sale kicked off by dropping the price on Mirror’s Edge for all devices to a mere ninety-nine cents. So what could be coming next? Your guess is as good as mine, but if the image on EA Mobile’s Facebook page is to believed, we may be seeing a discount on more than one title come Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Do you have any games that you would like to see get discounted? Let us know what you think in the comments!

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